insensitive

adjective

in·​sen·​si·​tive (ˌ)in-ˈsen(t)-s(ə-)tiv How to pronounce insensitive (audio)
Synonyms of insensitivenext
1
a
: lacking feeling or tact
so insensitive as to laugh at someone in pain
b
: not responsive or susceptible
insensitive to the demands of the public
2
: not physically or chemically sensitive
insensitively adverb
insensitiveness noun
insensitivity
(ˌ)in-ˌsen(t)-sə-ˈti-və-tē How to pronounce insensitive (audio)
noun

Synonyms of insensitive

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of insensitive in a Sentence

He's just a rude, insensitive jerk. It was insensitive of her to say that.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Many assumed that Ramée was white, and believed that his comment was not only cringe but also insensitive. — Owen Carry, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026 The filing alleged Flores deceptively edited the recordings to hide his own insensitive remarks and suggested he was motivated by a desire to win a large legal settlement in court. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 The move comes amid allegations from a local independent media outlet that Boltinhouse had posted insensitive social media messages between 2017 and 2019 under an alias. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026 Each of these four Big Players was insensitive to the discipline of peer review. — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for insensitive

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of insensitive was in 1834

Rhymes for insensitive

See All Rhymes for insensitive

Browse Nearby Words

insensible
insensitive
insentience
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Insensitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insensitive. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

insensitive

adjective
in·​sen·​si·​tive (ˈ)in-ˈsen(t)-sət-iv How to pronounce insensitive (audio)
-ˈsen(t)-stiv
: not sensitive
especially : lacking feeling
insensitively adverb
insensitivity
(ˌ)in-ˌsen(t)-sə-ˈtiv-ət-ē How to pronounce insensitive (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on insensitive

Nglish: Translation of insensitive for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All